Young, Restless, Bold, Beautiful
by Violets and Lilies
Summary: A coming-of-age story for Nala. Four quick snapshots about her life during Simba's exile. This is the first story that I've written all the chapters before publishing anything, so check "follow" and enjoy the staggered release of each one of the next day or two. The first two chapters are K but thee and four get just a tad more rank. Particularly chapter three.
1. Young

Sarabi's golden eyes flew open, her heart hammering wildly under her ribcage. In an unfocused disoriented daze, the images of her nightmare raced before her eyes; she saw Mufasa and Simba cruelly trampled by a wildebeest stampede and then the hyenas entering the Pridelands at the sound of Taka's roar.

Numb and quivering, she instinctively turned to find her mate's warmth and comfort but was startled fully awake when she found only the soft body of her cubhood best friend, Sarafina, stretched out beside her on the den's cold stone floor.

Drawing back and pinning her ears to the side of her head in confusion, Sarabi suddenly remembered the awful truth and, with an aching realization, allowed her head to slowly sink back onto the rocks.

She would never wake up from this nightmare.

Then, with a jolt of reality, her head quickly popped back into the air and all the muscles in her hard lithe body came to full attention; this was no time to allow heartache to dull her senses!

Though her title had been stripped away in one terrible afternoon, her queenly essence remained and she immediately began thinking of how to keep the pride alive; her sharpened gaze roamed over the hyena-infested den, making sure that each lioness was safe.

She even noted, with utter disgust, that Taka was snoring loudly on the rock platform where she and Mufasa had laid together only the night before.

But when her gaze swept over her sleeping friend, she tensed in alarm; Sarafina's large creamy paws were empty. Where was Nala?

Shaking her head with an intense scowl, Sarabi was a nanosecond away from waking the young cub's mother when she remembered that Simba and Nala had often crept out of the den at night without permission to stargaze on Pride Rock's promontory.

Simba had been particularly excited about the illicit activity after Mufasa had told him about the Great Kings of the Past.

Cautiously, ever aware of the danger of waking the hyenas that now slept among them, Sarabi rose and crept out into the brilliantly starry night and found Nala sobbing quietly in the soft white glow of the moonlight; her small body shuddered with emotion.

Sarabi never seen the youngster look so vulnerable.

"Nala," she whispered, her shadow looming above the preoccupied cub.

Startled, Nala whipped her tear-stained face around, her aqua-marine eyes wide with a mixture of intense pain and terror. At seeing Sarabi, she sighed deeply and scooted under the older lioness' strong capable forepaws for protection. Burying her face into the rich creamy fur, she choked out, "I miss him, Aunt Sarabi."

"I know. I miss them too, little one."

Leaning down, she gave the young cub a gentle lick on the top of her head, then added, "But the rules haven't changed, Nala; cubs have to stay in the den at night." She punctuated her words with the barest hint of a soft growl.

"I had a dream about him, Aunt Sarabi," Nala responded, before the former queen could carry her back inside.

Taking a swift alert look around, Sarabi noted with relief that all the hyenas were fast asleep so she decided to sit down and comfort the cub.

"I dreamed about them too, Nala. That's why I came looking for you. I don't want you getting hurt too. The Pridelands are infinitely more dangerous now."

"I dreamed that we were playing in the grass and Simba taught me how to pounce on Zazu," Nala said; for a moment her eyes glowed with excitement, then she remembered reality and huddled closer to the adult lioness for protection and comfort.

Sarabi, in her heightened state of alertness, managed to avoid outright laughter, but she give Nala a reassuring smile with her beautiful sparking golden eyes.

"This morning he told me that he would teach me to pounce on Zazu tomorrow," Nala continued, quietly sobbing again, "Will you teach me to pounce tomorrow now, Aunt Sarabi?"

Sarabi nodded, "When it's time, your mother and I and the whole Pride will teach you much more than that, but you're too young for all of that right now."

Nala nodded, seeming to accept that, "Okay, but when will I be old enough?"

"When it's time," Sarabi answered simply.

Nala's expression turned quizzical, "Aunt Sarabi, I thought that you said that the rules haven't changed?"

"They haven't, Nala; you know that you're not supposed to be outside the den at night."

"But they have changed, Aunt Sarabi," the young cub insisted.

"Why do you say that?"

"Scar let the hyenas come in," Nala pointed out, "That's against the rules, but he changed them." A deep scowl formed on her sweet face, "Why did he do that, Aunt Sarabi? Doesn't he know about the Circle of Life?"

Sarabi sighed sadly and nodded, the youngster was wise beyond her years, "Yes, he does, Nala. Ahadi taught all of us about the Circle of Life."

"Then why did he let the hyenas come in? They'll ruin everything."

"Shh, little one, not so loud. I don't know why Taka is doing this."

"Can you ask him?" Nala demanded innocently.

"I will do what I can to protect us, Nala," Sarabi answered, but doubted that she could change her brother-in-law's mind.

Still, she owed it to the pride and, in particular, her late mate and son to try.

"What am I supposed to do now, Aunt Sarabi?" Nala asked, turning her sorrowful eyes upward.

The former queen paused to consider.

Nala was to young and inexperienced to know that her life would be harder and more perilous than any cub of the Pridelands had faced in many generations. How could she understand that the pride's survival and fortune rested on her shoulders alone?

Yet, even as they mourned together, Sarabi saw the youngster's great potential and she swore to herself that she would do everything within her power to help the cub become the queen that the pride needed her to be.

One day, Nala could wake them up from this nightmare.

Leaning down, Sarabi gave her another gentle lick on the head, and whispered, "You can survive, Nala. You must survive."

With that, the former queen picked the youngster up by her scruff and carried her back into the den.

* * *

 **Author's Notes** : I've had the idea for this story for over a year, but procrastinated like crazy. It was borne out of a discussion with another user (I can't even remember who now) that The Lion King franchise seems like a soup opera. Can you tell by the title?

I'm sure that you noticed that Sarabi refers to Scar as "Taka", while Nala does not. I did that to designate a generational difference between them.

Check out the latest poll on my profile page.


	2. Restless

A little over a year and a half into Taka's reign, Sarafina and Sarabi sat on an outcropping of rocks, surveying the savannah for food. The land, although showing signs of the king's mismanagement, could still support a vast array of herds.

Unfortunately, the hyenas stole many of the things that the lionesses brought down so the two friends were in a fairly rundown state.

Noticing Nala pacing a bare spot into a patch of grass nearby, Sarabi questioned the half-grown cub's mother.

"Oh, she's angry about everything these days," Sarafina sighed, then added softly, "as if her anger could fix it."

"You mean about the state of the Pridelands?" Sarabi wisely guessed.

"Yes," Sarafina confirmed, "Some days are better than others; what happened yesterday set her off again."

"What happened?"

"I let her observe my hunt," Sarafina explained, "I got a young zebra, but Shenzi, Banzai and Ed came out of nowhere and stole it from me." She shook her head, "I beat a retreat, of course. Three adult hyenas aren't a joke when you're worn out, alone, and have a cub nearby." Shuddering at the memory, she added, "Nala hasn't eaten in a few days and she lost it when I didn't fight back."

Sarabi nodded understandingly, "You were right though; she knows that deep down."

"I know she knows," Sarafina sighed again, "It's just that she's so restless nowadays. I'm thankful that she still has a healthy respect for the dangers in the savannah, but I fear the day when she doesn't hold her anger in check."

"Have either of you eaten since the zebra incident?"

"No, and I'm beat right now. I'm hoping that someone else gets something big enough to share tonight but, if not, I'll rest up today and try again tomorrow."

"Could something other than an empty stomach be bothering your daughter?" Sarabi asked wisely,

Sarafina hesitated; lowing her eyes and saying nothing for a few minutes.

"Come now, Fina," Sarabi pressed, "Don't hold anything back from me; especially about Nala." She glanced again at the raging half-grown lioness, a small smile caressing her face, "I feel a kinship with her. We've both lost so much."

"She dreamed about Simba again last night," Sarafina finally offered, unable to look at her friend's face when she spoke of the late king and prince, "I think she dreams about him more often than not."

"She has told me about her dreams before;" Sarabi nodded slowly, "I still dream of them myself."

"I think that she gets angrier faster when she dreams about him," Sarafina volunteered, "She knows that things wouldn't be like this if Mufasa still reigned so dreaming about Simba reminds her of everything that could be, that _should_ be."

"Can I take her hunting tonight?" Sarabi asked suddenly, "We'll go farther afield than usual and maybe the hyenas won't bother us." She smiled weakly, knowing that wasn't guaranteed, "Some of the other lionesses are hunting closer to Pride Rock so there's an even better chance that we won't be followed if we're farther away."

"And afterward, we can sit under the stars and just remember things."

"Can you?" Sarafina asked cautiously.

"Oh, yes, I rested yesterday so I'm ready for action."

"That'll be nice for you both, I know," Sarafina nodded, "Go ahead."

"We won't be back until tomorrow," the former queen instructed, "Watch over the pride for me, Fina."

"Will do. Be careful, Sarabi; hunting alone is dangerous."

"Speak for yourself, Miss Zebra Hunter," Sarabi laughed affectionately, giving her friend a firm nuzzle, "Thank you." Then turning, she quickly descended from the rocks.

"Come on, Nala," she called out, jogging towards the restless adolescent..

"Where are we going, Aunt Sarabi?" Nala asked, loping up to her; a curious sparkle softened the fury in her gorgeous eyes.

"I'm going to take you hunting," the former queen whispered in her ear, "We'll go farther out than usual and afterward we'll lay out under the stars and talk tonight."

"That sounds awesome!" Nala exclaimed, her tail lashing the air with glee.

* * *

That night the two lionesses lounged in the dusty sun-scorched grass near a shallow river, having just finished off a small gazelle.

Nala sighed, finally content on a full stomach. Then, looking up at the twinkling stars, she frowned deeply.

"Last night, after the hyenas took mom's zebra," she admitted, "I dreamed that Simba appeared out of nowhere and all the hyenas in the Pridelands ran away in terror when he roared at them."

Sarabi laughed, the image recalling happy memories to her mind. Then she shared her own recent dream.

"A few nights ago," she said, "I dreamed about the time Mufasa saved me from a cape buffalo." She shook her head, remembering the foolishness of her past actions, "We were about your age and I rather stupidly thought that I could catch a young one. Mufasa had create a diversion when it's mom came after me and then Ahadi had to rescue _him_. Boy, did we ever get in trouble that night!"

She chuckled again, despite herself.

"So, when will I be allowed to hunt more than just silly old hares and meerkats, Aunt Sarabi?" Nala demanded impatiently, as if the implications of the former queen's story were lost on her in her restless eagerness to grow-up.

Sarabi chuckled, "Patience, Nala, patience. Remember the story I just told you. When it's time, you can hunt more."

"That's what you always say," Nala pouted.

"Only because it's true," Sarabi reminded her gently, "You know how dangerous large prey is."

"Yes, but can't I do more than just observe?" Nala argued. Thinking for a moment, she added, "Maybe I could help in the pursuit next time? Then fall back when everyone closes in."

"And what if the animal turns around and charges us before we're close enough to kill it and you're caught?" Sarabi asked pointedly, "Our prey knows that attacking our weakest link is an effective strategy for staying alive so you'd be singled out."

"It's no bigger risk than what everyone faces on a hurt," Nala argued, "Why does everyone shield me from danger still? You all worry about me, but I worry about all of you. I want to help more!"

"You're not experienced enough to hunt large prey, Nala," Sarabi answered, nuzzling her in her ever patient way, "But, even more than that, you're our only hope for the future; the pride won't survive without you. That's why we take every precaution to keep you safe, even as we teach you the dangerous skills that you need to survive."

Nala pinned her ears back in confusion, "I don't understand, Aunt Sarabi. Are you saying that I'm more important than anyone else?"

"My dear," the former queen explained solemnly, "You know that I have tried to reason with Taka, but he will never change his ways. The only way that the pride will survive is to, eventually, bring in completely new leadership. One day, it will be up to you to find our new king."

"Me?" Nala was taken aback, "Why me?"

"Do you remember when Zazu told you that you were betrothed to Simba since your birth?" Sarabi asked, then continued without waiting for an answer, "Well, even after his death, you're still destined to be queen of the Pridelands."

Nala was stunned to hear this; she hadn't thought about her supposed betrothal to Simba since Zazu had broken the news to them the day before the stampede.

"I thought Zazu was joking about that," she admitted.

Sarabi laughed heartily, "Mufasa and I thought the same thing when we were your age."

"So, it was true, then?"

"Yes dear."

"And it's still true?"

"Yes dear; you're destined to be a queen one day."

Nala was quiet for a long time, thinking that over; it made her feel strange and very alone in the world. She started missing Simba even more than before.

Finally, she slowly lowered her head into the dry sandy grass and a few tears trickled down her nuzzle. "I wonder what Simba would say about that?" she asked softly, "He wanted to be king so badly. I don't think that I can find someone who matches up to the kind of king that he would be."

Sarabi pulled her into her forepaws and cradled her as if she was still small, "You will, my dear. And Simba would be proud of you for it." she reassured.

But she didn't have the heart to tell the restless adolescent to lay her memories aside so that they didn't compromise her views on any potential future mate.

* * *

 **Author's Note** : I took the idea for Sarabi's dream/memory came from an incident that happened in the first book of The Lion King: Six New Adventures, A Tale of Two Brothers. That incident didn't originally involve Sarabi, but I changed it a little.


	3. Bold

Nala crouched behind a tall rock formation, her eyes locked on a pathetic scraggly-looking wildebeest who was pawing the barren ground, searching for anything edible; her shadow was well hidden despite a full moon that illuminated the Pridelands with an otherworldly glow.

Almost three and half years had passed and she'd grown into a fine capable huntress, proving time and again to be an indispensible part of the hunt.

That's right, she thought, as she slunk ever closer, that's right; just stand there and paw the worthless dirt all you want. You won't find anything. Scar made sure of that.

Bitterly, she thought of the wildebeest stampede that had taken her best friend away from her; things wouldn't be like this if Simba were king.

Then, like a flash, she raced forward and ended the miserable creature's quest for food while also securing a meal for herself and her family.

Turning towards Pride Rock, she was about to lope home with her prize when wild laughter erupted from behind the rock formation directly in front of her; she froze, standing poised and rigid, waiting on high alert.

"That'll make a nice meal for _my_ family, lioness," a young female hyena said, stepping into view. Nala cursed herself for not having noticed her rival's scent before now.

"Look here, hyena," she snarled softly, her eyes swiftly scanning the surrounding rocks for it's friends, " _I_ tracked this wildebeest and _I_ killed it for _my_ family. If you want to feed yours, then you'll have to buck up and hunt for yourself tonight. I'm not in sharing mood."

"It's a pity that you lionesses aren't more agreeable, even after all these years of living together." the hyena mused, "Scar began his reign with the goal of bringing lions and hyenas together in a great and glorious future, but you lionesses have thwarted him at every turn."

"No," Nala growled softly, ferocious anger welling up inside of her at the mention of Scar's first proclamation, "what's a pity is that you were fool enough to trail my hunt all alone."

She leapt before she'd finished speaking, landing on the hyena and snapping it's neck in one swift fluid motion.

"Now, I'll have two things to bring home," she mused softly, not even caring that she'd broken one of Scar's rules.

She hated his rules anyway, particularly the one about never mentioning Mufasa or Simba's name in his presence.

Cocking her head, she deliberated about how she might bring both animals home at the same time so that nothing would be left for a scavenger to find in between trips; she was so deep in thought that she didn't hear Scar walking up behind her.

"Very nice, Nala, very nice," he said, startling her, "That was very bold of you to break my rule about not killing the hyenas. I like spunk in my lionesses." His tone made her heart race with dread.

"Now, now," he continued, smiling into her fear-filled eyes, "You have nothing to fear from me. Here, let me take that wildebeest for you. You bring the hyena and then, after our private dinner, we can have a nice talk about the future."

She reflectively backed her ears in disgust but did as she was told; Scar wasn't the picture of muscular strength, but his lean rankish body could easily pin her down.

"Why do you want me?" she asked, knowing full well what he meant by "the future".

"Why, Nala..." he replied, "do you even need to ask?"

"But, you already have a cub with Zira and she is pregnant again," she pointed out, eyeing him with deep suspicion.

"Nuka will never be my heir," he answered harshly, his green eyes flashing with bitter anger and disappointment, "and I won't risk Zira's next cub being as worthless as he is." His eyes traveled over her lean powerful body and he smiled with appreciation as they entered the den, "But, you're young and strong and brave so I want you to give me a son to be king after me."

How flattering, she though, completely revolted by his proposition; her mind immediately turned to Simba, longing for him more passionately than she ever had before.

He wouldn't let his mad uncle hurt her.

"Besides," Scar added, "You were always destined to be a queen."

"Taka!" Sarabi's sharp voice pierced the darkness; they hadn't noticed her following them inside.

"Why, Sarabi," he answered, leering at her, "what are you doing here?"

"I came to get Nala," she answered coldly, her burning golden eyes told the younger lioness that she knew exactly what was going on, "It's her turn to patrol with me."

"Take someone else," he retorted smugly, "Nala and I are going to have a private dinner and then...talk."

"Now, wait a minute, Scar," Nala objected, finding a courage in Sarabi's presence that she hadn't had when she and Scar were alone in the savannah, "I brought that wildebeest down to feed the whole pride." She spoke angrily and her eyes flashed with deep resentment, "We're all hungry these days, but there's no food and no water and you won't even let us leave Pride Rock to follow the herds! I was lucky to find that measly excuse for a meal nearby!"

"You know, I don't know where you get off doing this to us," she continued, too fired up to notice the dangerous ground that she was treading on, "but what you're doing is giving us a death sentence. _A death sentence, Scar_ , do you hear me? _A death sentence_!"

"And furthermore, I can't, for the life of me, figure out why you want cubs with anyone! Giving birth to little ones and raising them in this hellhole that you've created is ludicrous. Why do you even want cubs, Scar? _Why_? Chances are very high that it wouldn't even survive to succeed you!"

" _Enough_!" he roared, his eyes flashing with hatred and resentment. "You know, before I wanted you to be my queen because you're young and strong and capable, but now…" His voice trailed off into an evil leer, "Now, I just want to hurt you as much as I can and as often as I can before you die in this "hellhole", as you call it."

"Don't do this, Taka," Sarabi said softly, hurrying to intervene before things got out of control; she knew from experience that he wouldn't be swayed by getting into an argument.

"Oh?" he said teasingly, leering at her now, "Are you finally jealous, Sarabi? You had your chance, you know, but you'll miss out now."

"She's too young, Taka," she said, holding her ground like the queen she was.

"Oh, I like young," he replied.

"Her birthday is in a few days," she reminded him, switching tactics to play what was essentially her last card, "Why don't you wait for that?" She smiled suggestively, hoping that he'd take her bait, "I mean, after how disrespectful Nala has been tonight, don't you think that waiting to punish her on her birthday would be more fun?"

"Oh?" his interest was finally perked, "Maybe you have something there, Sarabi."

The two lionesses could tell that he was wavering but they remained tense, afraid to ruin Sarabi's ruse if they let their guard down. Suddenly, Scar crackled, "You know, Sarabi, I like that idea! I will wait!" He leered at the younger lioness, "See you in a few days, Nala."

He turned and stalked off, taking the wildebeest with him.

Nala wanted to scream and cry as she watched her kill being dragged away, knowing that her family wouldn't get a whiff of it; she didn't even care about her own fate anymore.

"A hyena is better than nothing," Sarabi consoled her, "but you'll have to eat fast, dear."

Nala looked startled, "What? Why, Aunt Sarabi?"

"It's time for you to go, my dear." the former queen replied patiently, "I bought you a few days, but you need to get out of the Pridelands _fast_!"

"But what about you?"

What about me?"

"Won't Scar hurt you when he finds out that you tricked him and I'm gone?"

"I can handle Taka."

Nala looked down at the rocks, tears suddenly welling up in her eyes, "I've known that this day would eventually come for a long time, but it wasn't ever real before now."

"You'll do fine, dear," Sarabi encouraged, "Tonight you showed the boldness that is necessary to be queen and we trusts your judgement about the kind of lion that you bring to be our king."

"It's not that, Aunt Sarabi," Nala answered, slowly shaking her head.

"Then what, dear?"

"It's Simba. I've never forgotten him. This is _his_ family and _his_ kingdom!" She spoke so emphatically that tears came to Sarabi's eyes, "How can I bring home another lion to take his place?"

"Do you know," Nala continued, "just last night, I dreamed that he roared on Pride Rock and all the herds acknowledged that he was king?"

"He's been gone for almost five years now, Nala," Sarabi gently reminded the her, "I will never forget them so I won't ask you too, but if the pride is going to survive, you must do this."

Nala sighed and nodded, more tears streaming down her muzzle. She knew that Sarabi was right, but her heart was shattered in a million pieces.

* * *

 **Author's Note** : This chapter is based on "The Madness of King Scar" sequence in The Lion King Broadway but, obviously, I made it my own.


	4. Beautiful

"I'm right behind you, Nala," Simba reassured gently, after she'd turned around to check several times as they followed a path around the edge of a sparkling waterfall; his eyes danced with delight whenever she turned to face him, "You don't have to keep turning around to make sure."

"Well, forgive me," she retorted, with a tinge of sharpness, backing her ears briefly before lowering her head to lap the crystal clear water in the pool at the base of the falls, "But, I've spent the last five years thinking that you were dead."

He turned away, regret, shame, and, she thought, fear instantly clouded his happy smile, making her sorry that she'd spoken bitterly. She just couldn't understand him.

Why had he gone away? Why didn't he acknowledge his kingship? Hadn't he, when they were cubs, proclaimed that he couldn't wait to be king? What had happened between then and now?

"You know," she said softly, backing off her harsh tone, "I've never forgotten you." She smiled at him, "Did you know that, on most nights, you were in my dreams?"

His eyes lit up and he nodded eagerly in agreement, "I dreamed about you a lot too."

"We did all sorts of things together," Nala continued, her tone full of warm fondness as she recalled some of the dreams that she'd had, "Once, when I was a cub, you taught me to pounce on Zazu. Then, another time, you roared and scared all the hyenas out of the Pridelands. And, did you know, not too many nights ago, I dreamed that you roared atop Pride Rock and all the herds acknowledged that your were the king."

Instantly, she looked away, all too aware that he no longer accepted his birthright. Then, quickly, she turned back to face him. Hadn't his own mother given her the task of finding a king to defeat Scar and return the Pridelands to the bountiful glory of Mufasa's reign?

Well, who better to do that than Mufasa's own son? Simba was his lawful heir; the rightful king.

Now, all I have to do is convince him to come home, she thought.

But as warmth surged into her heart, she realized that all she wanted to do was spend tonight with him.

They spoke at the same time.

"Simba…?"

"Nala…?"

"Yes?"

"No, you go ahead," she answered, shaking her head, "I told you about my dreams, now you talk." She hoped that he was ready to tell her everything that she couldn't understand.

"Well, okay," he said, his eyes dancing playfully as a smirk touched his mouth, "But, I'd rather _show_ you one of the things that we did in _my_ dreams."

To her enormous surprise, he suddenly grabbed a strong vine in his mouth, pulled it back, then ran forward and swung out over the pool of water, splashing down hard on his back.

She leaned over the edge, frantically scanned the upset water for his body. Then, suddenly, he reappeared out of the depths and threw his forepaws over her shoulders as he dropped back into the water; she somersaulted in on top of him.

Instantly surrounded by wild bubbles and foamy sparkling water, she clamped her gasping mouth shut and pushed away him. Then she hauled herself back onto the rocky ledge, breathing hard from the surprise and coughing the water out of her mouth.

Looking down at herself, she scowled unhappily, thinking that her sodden fur looked bedraggled and awful. What was he thinking?

Then Simba was pulling himself out of the pool with torrents of water streaming off of his massive solidly-muscled frame and thick lush red mane; his eyes sparkled and he laughed with joy.

"Hey, you look good soaking wet!" he gushed, laughing even harder.

Nala gave him a withering look, but a smirk slowly began to dawn on her mouth; admittedly, she was pleased that he liked the way she looked.

"So, do you." she answered, pushing him back into the pool.

Then, because he really did look good soaking wet, she waited until he was hauling himself out again before dashing off.

As a brilliant sunset began to glow in the sky, she loped happily through a wide grassy field sending birds into the air around her; knowing that her best friend was right behind her filled her with an unspeakable joy.

Tonight, everything is right, she thought, happy tears blurring her vision as she doubled back and sent the birds into the sky again. She paid no attention to their angry calls; all she could hear was Simba's heavy breath and pounding footfalls at her heels.

As dusk turned into night, they left the meadow to romp through the trees and, spinning around, she raised up on her hind legs to meet him in a loving embrace. Then, suddenly, the earth seemed to fall out from under them and they rolled down a long steep hill, somersaulted over one another all the way down.

Nala hit the think dewy grass with a hard thud and, for once, Simba landed on top of her; they laid together laughing until their sides ached. Finally, he began lifting his hulking weight off of her.

"Sorry, Nala, I must be pretty heavy," he said, his voice breathless from laughter.

Her eyes glowed with love and esteem. "Well, I'm not exactly used to being on the bottom," she answered. Reaching up, she grasped his head between her forepaws and licked his cheek, adding in a whisper, "No hard feeling though."

As she eased back down into the grass with a satisfied smile, he just stared at her in shock. Then, slowly, a warm smile dawned across his face and he leaned down to nuzzle her again.

"Have I ever told you that you're beautiful?" he asked.

"No," she answered softly.

"Well, you are," he said, "You're a beautiful birthday girl and I love you."

Her eyes widened a little, "Simba, did you really remember my birthday all this time?"

"I've never forgotten anything about you, Nala."

* * *

 **Author's Note** : Could you tell that I, with some artistic liberties, patterned this chapter after the scenes from the "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" sequence?

As a further note, I made the first two chapters from a sort of split perspective on Nala's maturity (Sarabi and Sarafina talking about her as well as Nala's own actions) because she is a cub in those chapters. Then, for the third and fourth chapters, when she is an adult, I let Nala's perspective take over.


End file.
